This is why you can’t trust ‘Eat This Not That’…

‘Eat This Not That’ suggests:

@EatThisNotThat: twEAT THIS at KFC: 2 KFC Snackers Honey BBQ for 420 calories & 6 g fat!

After checking out the sandwiches I was stunned that this could be a healthy choice.  It is apparently the chicken version of a pulled pork sandwich: a blend of white and dark chicken meat bathed in bbq sauce and served on a white flour bun.  There really isn’t anything healthy in this food selection so how can 2 of them be a good choice?

I haven’t ever had one of these snackers but a couple of things stand out to me.  When you look at pictures of them on their own, they look pretty big, but when you see a snacker in a persons hand it looks tiny.  I think that is the trick with these food items.  2 of a tiny snack item can have a low calorie count.  The key to this is that each snacker is 98 grams.  I needed to find something to compare with 98 grams (or 196 for 2).

To find things to compare it to, I did a quick search for some things I do know.  A hamburger at McDonalds is 100 grams.  A quarter Pounder with Cheese is 198 grams.  A 6″ Italian BMT sub at Subway is 245 grams and a 6″ turkey is 226 grams.

I am sure I couldn’t eat 2 hamburgers at McDonald’s and be full.  I know for a fact that I would never be full after eating a Quarter Pounder with Cheese.  I quite often eat a 6″ Italian BMT at Subway and even though I would never recommend it as a healthy choice I would also say that I am not full after eating it as well.  I very often eat an apple or a salad with the sandwich.  The 6″ turkey sandwich is a healthy decision but if the BMT isn’t going to fill me up there is no way the turkey will.

• 2 burgers 200 grams, 500 calories
• 2 bbq snackers 196 grams, 420 calories.
• 1 quarter pounder with cheese 198 grams 510 calories,
• 6″ BMT 245 grams 450 calories and the
• 6″ turkey 226 grams 280 calories.

A sandwich or a couple of small burgers is rarely a good meal.  The turkey sandwich though is low enough calorie that you could turn it into a good meal.  The point is, you can look on any value meal to find a couple of items that added together have less than 500 calories.  Any idiot can do this, but that doesn’t help anyone.  The important thing to know when eating healthy is what meal that will fill you up is under 500 calories and this is a concept that the Eat This Not That people never seem to get.

Nobody would recommend eating one Quarter Pounder with Cheese as a meal, nor would anyone recommend eating 2 hamburgers.  This really isn’t a healthy choice, but to be honest, just dropping the french fries helps a meal out tremendously.  If you leave a restaurant hungry though, what are the odds of not ordering the fries next time you are there.  You are just setting yourself up to fail.

Eat the 6″ sandwich from subway, ideally the turkey or ham or turkey and ham.  Eat an apple before hand or have there vegetarian sub salad (this is just a bunch of the vegetables from the sandwiches thrown in a bowl with some of the italian dressing poured on top).  If there are other fruits or vegetables you can eat with your sandwich go for it.  Have a small greek salad or some carrots or a banana.  The fruits and vegetables will help fill you up and the sandwich will satisfy your hunger.

So thanks again ‘Eat this Not That’ for another useless health tweet…